St. Paul daily globe., 1887-08-22
The Divine Besmirches His
Holy Calling by Seheming
to Get a Divorce.
Rev. Thomas B. Townsend, of
st. Luke's Episcopal Church
is the Man.
William, the Seducer and De-
serter, Said to be Rusti-
eating in Duluth.

him. But unfortunately, the crimes he
| is guilty of are usually of the kind that
| it is desirable to cover up. His victims
are but too eager to shrink away and
cover up their shame rather than face
the pitiless world with the story of their
errors. What harm the male fiirt does
is rendered possible by the laxity OF
parental care. Fathers and mothers
and guardians unwiSely allow oppor-
| tunities which should never be pre-
sented and when the inevitable result
comes it brings untold misery, disgrace
and Ofttimes death.
A YOUNG GIRL SCARCELY OF AGE,
who is wife in due form of law, sep
| arated from her husband at the most
critical period of woman'S existence,
is the central figure in sad story.
William Townsend, a young man of
excellent family and standing in So
ciety. the husband in the case, left the
city last Wednesday, it is understood,
for Duluth. Unless change of heart
should come over him, he will not be
here when the woman he SwOre to love
| and cherish has most need or COM
| passion, when their firSt-bOrn is uShered
| into this world of mixed joys and SOr-
rows.
Lulu Briggs was an orphan girl barely
sixteen years of age when, some two
| years back, she entered the family of
Rev. Thomas B. Townsend, at $40 War
ren avenue.
SHE WAS POOR,
! but gifted by nature with fair face and
form, genial and kindly disposition,
| 4Ia, ArIf int
| Through the efforts of friends and dis
| tant relatives Lulu was given high
school education, after which she mas
| tered the details of Stenography. and at
| this she expected to earn her liveli-
hood. She lived for several years
with the family of c. A. New
ton, 1928 West Harrison street, and
from there she attended the st. Luke's
Epscopalian church, on Western ave-
nue., near Polk street. Rev. Mr.. Town
send was the spiritual head of this
church, while his son William. who was
| until very recently member OF the real
estate firm of Townsend Bros. IL Sey-
mour. at No. 95 Washington street, was
| a member of the choir and the superin-
tendent of the Sunday school. Rey.Mr
| Townsend had administered the rites of
confirmation to Miss Briggs, and
| throughout manifested much Christian
| interest in her welfare. SO much was
| thought of the young lady that year or
| two ago she was taken in as member
| of the Townsend household.
| In the meantime MIR. Townsend had
received a call to the EpiscOpalian
church in Winnetka. and though he re-
tanned his residence i'll Chicago for some
| most eStimable old lady, for his flock i'll
hn Irr S4tnrG1V
night and remain there over Sunday,
returning Monday morning.
YOUNG WILL TOWNSEND
was daShing young fellow, a member
| of the First regiment, with large brown
eyes and dark curly hair, and his in
| Sinuating ways soon made him popular
with all the girls in the neighborhood.
| His ''fatal beauty" gave him advantages
which few boys in his locality enjoyed,
| and adding to this his apparently Chris
| tian demeanOr, and his Superlntendency
| of the Sunday school in his fathers
| church he became dangerous W0oer.
| His society was cOurted, and he was
| lavish in his attentions to large circle
| of estimable yong ladies, one at least OF
whom it is understood is now Frustrated
at his departure from the city.
| Lulu Briggs had been a member OF
the Townsend family but short time
when she fell victim to his batteries
| and general winning ways. The oppOr-
| tunity given them by the absence OF
| the elder T0wnSendS was soon taken
| advantage of, and it was not long before
| the young lady found herself i'll an em-
barrassing condition for an unmarried
woman. A consultation hastily fol-
| lowed with friends of the family. An
| immediate marriage was advised, but
| young Townsend was sadly opposed to
! this. Later, however, to his credit be
| it said, he repented.
AND A SECRET MARRIAGE
was finally decided on. The couple
| took the train for Wheaton. DuPage
county, and there, in the presence of
several Chicago parties, were made man
and wife Oh or about April 5, 1886.
Rev. Mr.. Townsend and his wife had
| been kept in blissful ignorance of all
these events, and it was not until three
weeks thereafter, when gOSSipS began
| wagging their tongues that the fact of
| the marriage was given to them by
young VIII himself. A stormy scene
| followed. Mr.. Townsend told his son
| that his marriage was void for the rea-
son that he was not of age, and there
fore could not cOntracta legal marriage.
The result of the whole matter-WaS that
the poor girl was sent away from the
Townsend mansion heart-brOken
woman. Will's manhood, however,
came to her rescue, and he went with
the girl to his married sister with whom
they lived for about three weeks.
Matters during that short period OF
time had been very pleasant. Mrs. Town
send fairly worshipped her young hus-
band, and plans were being laid for
modest effort at housekeeping. VIII
had become of age, and had obtained
some money which was coming to him.
He visited his parents quite frequently,
but never with his wife, and it was at
the end of three weeks of married life
that the storm clouds began to gather
over the wife's head until they finally
burst. Family pride, better chances in
life, contempt for the love that had been
so easily won, Indifference toward the
woman he had betrayed, all these things
weighed on a man not gifted with much
consideration for others, and he chafed
under the
SLIGHT BOND THAT HELD HIM.
81 can live with you no longer" said
the heartleSs husband one day, "and we
will have to separate"
''Why, Will, what have 1 done to
you?" asked the crushed wife, crying
piteously. ''Have | not been true
woman to you, and will you desert me
when you know what we both eXpect?'
"My parents don't think you are good
enough for me. They say you have
'roped me in and abused their conf
dence, and will have to leave you for
ever" was bis reply.
And he made his word good; left his
wife in the face of her dire extremity
and then began to plan how to get rid of
his incumbrance in legal form.
Emissaries were sent and personal in
terviews were had with Lulu looking to
a divorce, which was to be surrounded
with the same secrecy which had char
acteriZed the marriage. She would not
listen to it. The idea of losing her hus-
band forever was thing too horrible for
bt,r fo Ton of ch roioofo6 oil